Extra Yarn

We Read:
Extra Yarn
By Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published by Blazer + Bray, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

book cover and a sad wtf knitting project

With her upcycled, magic box of yarn, young Annabelle thwarts a greedy archduke, knits over an entire wintry village, and defies a town’s expectations.

What Parents Will Love:
As a beginning knitter, I am utterly envious of Annabelle’s super-natural crafting talent. On a whim, she makes bright and beautiful sweaters for children, grown-ups, dogs, cats, bears, trees, cars, houses… etc. The writing embodies a wry kind of humor that I think makes the best kinds of children’s stories, those that both parent and child can enjoy. The graphics are also totally cool, as illustrated by the mega-popular Klassen–also responsible for the art featured in The Dark.

What Kids Will Love:
At every turn, Annabelle is told she is wrong, that she must stop what she is doing, that she will fail and run out of yarn. She is teased, and heckled, and bribed. But Annabelle keeps knitting and turns cynics into believes, refusing to be defined by her peers or teachers or archduke’s limits. Rather than give up her gift, she turns down ten-million dollars, folks! That girl obviously has the best parents in the world (who are at this moment weeping into their empty palms).

Where We Acquired This Book:
Library

Ike’s Incredible Ink

We Read:
Ike’s Incredible Ink
by Brianne Farley
Published by Candlewick Press

Lee is clearly not in the mood for me to interrupt his storytime with a photoshoot

An ambitious inkblot named Ike needs some inspiration for his incredible story.

What Parents Will Love:
For parents and caretakers who worry about their kids dragging their feet when it’s time to clean up toys or put on their shoes, Ike’s Incredible Ink will help us think more positively about procrastination, and the creative process in general. Let me break it down: Ike wants to write a story, but he’s stuck. He thinks about what other books (and comics, and maps) have that he’s missing, and the answer is obvious… their own ink! Of course he’s got to get himself equipped with some of that before he can get down to business. In the end, his adventures lead him to the story he was trying to write all along. Collective “aww,” guys. And, as a writer, I am totally digging this book. I think it’s a great read for us creative types, adults and children alike.

 What Kids Will Love:
Brianne Farley’s illustrations are super energetic, which children adore! They’ll also be able to relate to Ike’s (ink-making) tangent, and enjoy joining in his quest to collect and concoct the perfect ink ingredients. With him, they’ll travel on a journey to the dark side of the moon, and work alongside Ike in his chemistry lab. In fact, Lee’s favorite part of the whole book were the front and back cover pages, filled with hand-drawn beakers and bottles. Who knows, maybe I’ve got a budding chemist?

Where We Acquired This Book:
Library

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

We Read:
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Written by Robert Frost, Illustrated by Susan Jeffers
Published by E.P. Dutton (reprinted with permission of Holt, Rienhart and Winston, Publishers)

A classic Frost poem converted to picture-book form and illustrated. This was one of my fathers, and my, favorite poems growing up. Maybe one day it will be one of Lee’s favorites, too.

What parents will love:
When Lee was still a few months old, we were bored and stuck indoors all winter. I used to wrap him in a sling and traverse our tiny apartment, reading aloud Howl by Alan Ginsberg to pass time. Though poetry is considered a form that goes above children’s heads, as a parent and writer, I disagree. Frost especially is one poet whose work can be digested at many ages, and with each new read, fresh insight can be gained. A toddler may only be able to appreciate the textured, downy snowflakes he describes, while at five years old they may wonder what kind of promises the speaker of the poem intends keep.

What kids will love:
Not all poems rhyme (perhaps not even most poems!) but Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening has rhyming stanzas, which little ears almost always enjoy. And, to accompany the rhymes, the pictures are lovely in greyscale and some minimal color. The illustrator also does something neat by hiding animals like rabbits, squirrels, birds, deer, and foxes throughout the book. Ask kids to be interactive and count how many animals they are able spot on each page!

Where we acquired this book:
Library

The Rainbow Goblins

We Read:
The Rainbow Goblins 
by Ul De Rico
published by Thames & Hudson

The Rainbow Goblins is a beautiful and eerie origin myth story, given to us by our dear friend and fellow writer (http://thememecafe.blogspot.com). I don’t know that I ever would have found this book without her, and I am so glad we did.

What kids will love about this book:
Adults aren’t always able to give kids simple answers to their questions. Why does rain fall? Why is it dark at night? Why don’t rainbows touch the ground? One can explain the water cycle, and the Earth’s rotation around the sun, and water particles in the air separating sunlight, because science is fun! But, what’s also fun is making up stories about goblins with lassos trying to drink the rainbows’ colors, and the flowers saving the rainbow and drowning those goblins.

What parents will love about this book:
The truth is, this is a trippy book. It was published in 1978, after all. The story is a myth, and the illustrations are so bright and intricate that it’s borderline frightening–in a good way. While kids are happy to have an easy explanation for rainbows (because goblins are way simpler to understand than light refraction, obviously), parents can enjoy the story on a deeper, darker level.

Good to know:
The art in this book, also by Ul de Rico, are reproductions of oil paintings that he created on oak panels.

I’m not an expert on royalty, but apparently Ul de Rico is a shorted name for the Italian born Count Ulderico Gropplero di Troppenburg. Fancy.

Our experience:
Despite my fondness for more modern picture book design, like collage, cut-out, etc., I am awed by the art of The Rainbow Goblins. And for Lee it is a nice tool to reinforce the colors he’s been learning about. The story itself may be a bit over his head for now, but we we’re still able to enjoy it together.